Method of living organism multimodal functional mapping

Abstract

A method of diagnosis of a living organism by providing at least one functional map of the living organism, the method having the steps of determining at least two physical parameters characterizing the physiological state of the living organism, recording spatial-temporal distributions of the at least two physical parameters, acquiring and processing information about the spatial-temporal distributions of the at least two physical parameters, and utilizing the information about the spatial-temporal distributions of the at least two physical parameters to generate the at least one functional map of the living organism. Further steps include using one of the at least two physical parameters as a reference for selecting another of the physical parameters, substantially simultaneously recording the spatial-temporal distributions of the at least two physical parameters or recording the spatial-temporal distributions of the at least two physical parameters at a preselected time interval apart from one another.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of diagnosis of a living organism by providing at least one functional map of the living organism, the method comprising the steps of: determining at least two physical parameters characterizing a physiological state of said living organism;   recording spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters;   acquiring and processing information about said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters;   generating from said information about said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters said at least one functional map of the living organism; and   diagnosing the living organism by analyzing said at least one functional map of the living organism.   
     
     
       2. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of using one of said at least two physical parameters as a reference for selecting another of said physical parameters. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of substantially simultaneously recording said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of recording said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters at a preselected time interval apart from one another. 
     
     
       5. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of analyzing interconnection characteristics between said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters in order to determine functional status information of the living organism. 
     
     
       6. The method as defined in claim 5 further comprising the step of generating from said determined information said at least one functional map of the living organism based upon said interconnection characteristics between said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters. 
     
     
       7. The method as defined in claim 6 further comprising the step of analyzing said interconnection characteristics between said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters taken from different parts of the living organism. 
     
     
       8. The method as defined in claim 6 further comprising the step of analyzing said interconnection characteristics between said spatial-temporal distributions of said at least two physical parameters taken from the surface and deep layers of the living organism. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of determining a plurality of physical parameters and selecting said physical parameters over time during the living organism's functional activity. 
     
     
       10. The method as defined in claim 5 further comprising the steps of obtaining at least one functional map and interconnection characteristics of another living organism, and comparing said at least one functional map and interconnection characteristics of said living organism with said at least one functional map and interconnection characteristics of said another living organism, wherein the comparison thereof provides additional information on said functional status of said living organism. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining a plurality of physical parameters and selecting said physical parameters over time during the living organism's functional activity. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said physical parameters are determined based upon the living organism's own physical fields. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to electrical potential of the living organism's surface. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to magnetic fields near the living organism's surface. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to optical radiation in a visible range at least at one wavelength backscattered from an area under investigation of the living organism. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said physical parameters are determined based upon the living organism's own radiation. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said physical parameters are determined as a result of external physical fields applied to the living organism. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said physical parameters are determined as a result of external radiation applied to the living organism. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to electrical potential of the living organism's surface and intensity of microwave thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to electrical potential of the living organism's surface and the intensity of acoustic thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to electrical potential of the living organism's surface and the intensity of infrared thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to electric potential of the living organism's surface. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to intensity of microwave thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to acoustic thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to infrared thermal radiation of the living organism of the living organism. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to optical radiation in a near infrared range at least at one wavelength backscattered from an area under investigation of the living organism. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to optical radiation transmitted through an area under investigation measured substantially simultaneously with intensity of infrared thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related to the optical radiation transmitted through an area under investigation measured substantially simultaneously with the intensity of acoustic thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said plurality of physical parameters is related radiation transmitted through an area under investigation measured substantially simultaneously with an intensity of microwave thermal radiation of the living organism. 
     
     
       30. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of applying at least one external influence to said living organism; wherein the diagnosis takes place during the application of said at least one external influence to said living organism. 
     
     
       31. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from changes in temperature. 
     
     
       32. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from changes in humidity. 
     
     
       33. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from an application of illumination. 
     
     
       34. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from an application of sound. 
     
     
       35. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from an application of mechanical influence. 
     
     
       36. The method as defined in claim 35 wherein said mechanical influence includes an application of external pressure. 
     
     
       37. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from an application of electric stimulation. 
     
     
       38. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from an application of magnetic stimulation. 
     
     
       39. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from a pharmacological treatment. 
     
     
       40. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein at least one of said external influences comes from exercise. 
     
     
       41. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one functional map contains several components, each of said components characterizing certain functional behavior characteristics of the living organism. 
     
     
       42. The method of claim 41 wherein different parts of the living organism are diagnosed by the step of cross-correlating several of said components of said at least one functional map. 
     
     
       43. The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of determining the derivative of said physical parameters and using a spatial-temporal distribution of said derivatives to generate said at least one functional map of the living organism.